Lidia's a pot, a pan, and a bowl Simple recipes for perfect meals

Review by Booklist Review

A classic Italian meal can be complex--antipasto, pasta, secondo, dolce--and that's not even including the accompanying drinks. In her latest cookbook, the reigning queen of Italian cooking in America, Bastianich (Felidia, 2019) supplies a centerpiece dish to a meal, but reduces the number of pots and pans to a minimum. This offers the busy cook an opportunity to put food on the table with less preparation and less cleanup effort. Soups include both a summer and winter version of minestrone, and the recipes often make enough to freeze and serve for future meals. Bastianich is a fan of the Instant Pot, and she delves into the currently fashionable technique of sheet-pan roasting of both chicken and pork. Seafood, both fin fish and shellfish, stars in salads, making a light dish much more satisfying. Pastas and meat dishes dominate, braises and stews particularly lending themselves to one-dish interpretations. Fans of chocolate chip cookies will delight in Bastianich's version calling for ricotta cheese in the dough. Color photographs make recipes even more enticing.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"In many ways, making a one-or-two-pot meal is cooking at its basic level, but also at its most diverse," writes TV host and restaurateur Bastianich (Felidia) of the premise behind her excellent latest collection. The Italian cooking doyenne proves this with a sweeping selection of simple yet delectable recipes, more than a few of which call for less than six ingredients. To skip an all-day affair in the kitchen, Bastianich gives specific pointers about which dishes can be done in an electric pressure cooker, such as her boiled beef salad and lentil and pasta soup. Lasagnas are made with bread or no-cook noodles to save time and to provide leftovers aplenty on busy weeknights, while an expansive offering of soups--such as her endlessly riffable minestrones for summer and winter--can be frozen to solve the perennial dilemma of "those last-minute, unplanned situations." Lots of practical whys and wherefores are in recipe headnotes, including the 30-minute salting of salad-bound raw carrots and celery root (to keep them crisp), and how the roasting of vegetables and sausage adds depth to her later mixed seafood bake. Steered by Bastianich's sure hand and heavy on flavor, this will make a solid addition to any cookbook shelf. (Oct.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

In this cookbook's dedication, TV chef Bastianich (host of the program Lidia's Kitchen; author of the cookbooks Celebrate Like an Italian and Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine) writes, "I nurture, give, share, and express love through cooking, preparing, and ultimately sharing food." That's what this collection is about--love in the form of food that can be made in one pot, one pan, or one bowl. A good bowl of soup can be a warm hug for the soul, Bastianich claims, and she features several recipes that fit this description. Other chapters include eggs (beyond scrambled), meat, fish, salads, and desserts. Some of the recipes are classics (including two versions of minestrone), while others are new idea (shaved artichoke, spinach, and mortadella salad). These all sound like they could make a restaurant's worth of dishes, but the introduction sets home cooks on a simple path to flavorful meals. There are bright, enticing color photographs throughout. VERDICT Readers who are familiar with homestyle Italian cooking will be reminded of its simple joys, while those looking to make something attainable in their kitchen will enjoy the simplicity offered here. Note that this is the companion cookbook for the forthcoming TV series Lidia's Kitchen: Home Cooking.--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Inst. of Technology, Portland

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Mezzi Rigatoni with Raw Tomato Sauce Mezzi Rigatoni al Pesto di Pomodoro Crudo SERVES 6 * This is another recipe that is really just a starting point for your creativity and what you have on hand. You can use any type of tomatoes, as long as they are ripe and juicy and at room temperature. You can also add other vegetables, some grated zucchini or a few handfuls of baby spinach or kale. Also feel free to toss in some protein, like leftover cooked shrimp, roast chicken, or pork, or a can of tuna. When you chop the tomatoes, make sure to scrape the juices from the cutting board into the serving bowl along with them, that'll be the flavor base for this easy, uncooked sauce. Active Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Kosher salt 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved Peperoncino flakes 1 pound mezzi rigatoni 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 3/4 cup freshly grated Grana Padano Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Chop tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and add them and their juices to a serving bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino. Toss, and let sit while you cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Meanwhile, combine the basil, parsley, and garlic in the work bowl of a mini-food processor. Pulse to make a chunky paste. With the machine running, add the olive oil to make a smooth pesto. Add to the tomato mixture, and toss. When the pasta is al dente, remove with a spider to the bowl with the tomatoes, and toss well. Add the mozzarella and grated Grana Padano and toss well again. Season with salt if needed, toss again, and serve. Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs Costolette di Manzo Brasate alla Birra SERVES 6 * The bones in the short ribs add great flavor to this dish; however, you could also make it with big chunks of beef chuck. If you do, reduce the initial cooking time of the meat by about half. The pestata of almonds and porcini does double duty here, adding a rich earthiness to the sauce and helping to thicken it without flour. As much as I enjoy Italian wine with my meals, since this recipe contains beer, here I would accompany it with one of the good artisanal beers coming out of Italy. Active Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes 1/4 cup dried porcini 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 fresh bay leaves 12 ounces dark ale 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium store-bought 3 medium onions, cut into 1-inch chunks 1 pound small red potatoes, halved 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Combine the porcini and almonds in the work bowl of a mini-food processor. Pulse to make an almost smooth pestata. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the short ribs with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Brown the short ribs all over, removing them to a plate as they brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Add the carrots and toss to coat in the oil. Cook the carrots until they begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes; then make a space in the pan, and add the tomato paste there. Cook and toast the tomato paste in that space until it darkens a shade or two, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and bay leaves and stir to combine. Add the pestata, and stir to toast lightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beer, bring it to a boil, and cook until the beer is reduced by half. Add back the short ribs and add 4 cups of the chicken stock. Adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering, set the lid ajar, and simmer until the short ribs are almost tender, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups stock, the onions, and the potatoes. Return to a simmer and cook until everything is very tender, and the sauce is thick and flavorful, 40 to 50 minutes more. Stir in the parsley, remove the bay leaves, and serve. Apple Cranberry Crumble Crumble di Mele e Mirtilli SERVES 6 TO 8 * Crumbles are not Italian, but I have learned to love them because they are very Italian in spirit fresh fruit and a simple topping come together to create a homey dessert everyone will love. The trick to making a crisp, clumpy topping is to squeeze the clumps a little. Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Filling 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces, plus 1 tablespoon, softened, for the skillet 3 pounds cooking apples, such as Golden Delicious, peeled and cut into chunks 2 cups fresh cranberries 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour Kosher salt 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Topping 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup chopped almonds 3/4 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant) 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Kosher salt 1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large cast-iron skillet. Combine the apples, cranberries, granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl, and toss well. Transfer to the skillet. Dot the top with the cold butter pieces. Wipe out the bowl and make the topping. Add the flour, almonds, oats, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the bowl. Toss to combine. Cut the butter into five or six pieces. Work the butter in with your fingers until the topping is evenly moistened. Squeeze clumps of the topping in your palm, a few tablespoons at a time, and scatter them over the fruit. Bake until the crumble topping is golden and crisp, and the fruit juices are bubbly, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Excerpted from Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl: Simple Recipes for Perfect Meals: a Cookbook by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Tanya Bastianich Manuali All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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